A/N I'm on a two hour car drive soooo lucky you, you all get an extra EXTRA
long chapter! Heh heh heh!
Sli
The door softly clanged as I walked outside into the streets of New York. I dragged my feet thinking about the day, dreading going back to the lodging house. I came to the end of the road, and turned away from the Newsboy's house and towards some unknown territory I was willingly invading.
I walked to the Brooklyn Bridge and continued across. The murky waters splashed treacherously against the bridge's supports. I entered the territory I wandered aimlessly about. I passed several factories and pubs and headed onward.
A hand clasped over my mouth and bulled me behind a cold stone building. The hand tightened around my throat, and tears pricked into my eyes as I felt my breath being cut off from me, "I didn't kill them, you've gotta believe me!"
"I don't care who you killed!" My mouth parted but no words escaped, only a choking noise. "Give me you're money. I shook my head trying to tell him I didn't have any, but he pushed down on my throat harder.
I felt my eyes roll to the back of my head, and I passed out his hand still firmly placed on my throat.
I awoke to black, it surrounded and engulfed me. My headed pounded, and my throat was sore. I felt it and discovered it was bruised and had dried blood on it.
Standing up I grabbed my head trying to stop the spinning. I leaned back against the wall coughing slightly. I began to walk away fro the ally and to nowhere. I saw the lights of a small bar that was still going.
Walking inside I was greeted with a colorful and familiar sight. Men slumped over their drinks, it was so late they were completely wasted. I sat down and laid my head on the table staring at the person next to me. He was glassy eyed and wore a blue plaid shirt. A newsie hat perched jauntily on his head, which leaned against his glass.
"Who are you," his words were slurred and barely understandable.
"Slider," I responded.
"Don't we hate you?"
"You don't know me," I glared at him, he was a newsie for sure.
"What happened to you," he glanced at my bruises.
"I ran into a doorknob."
"Uh huh, sure," He gave a small laugh.
"Where'd you live?"
He continued to laugh, "Brooklyn."
"Where IN Brooklyn?"
"The lodging house," he let out another laugh. I grabbed his arm and helped to stand him up. He slung his arm over my shoulder and put his weight on me.
"Come on," I led him out of the bar and down the street, occasionally he would give me directions. "So who are you," I inquired.
"Spot Conlon, the leader of Brooklyn," a cocky grin danced across his face. Then his face grew confused, "Hey, aren't you a Manhattan boy? What are you doing in Brooklyn?" he pushed himself away from me and stumbled a little.
"Manhattan boys are a bunch of shit heads." Spot grinned and slung his arm back around me, "That's it?"
I shrugged, "Right now it will be." Spot cocked his head, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You're too drunk to know. Tomorrow you won't even remember me."
"I'm not drunk," he defiantly stated, "I'm slightly intoxicated!"
I pushed him down on the stone steps of the building and sat next to him, letting him rest for a moment. He hung his head between his legs and then stood up once more. I followed his lead and walked into the lodging house behind him.
He walked past the sleeping boys and up more stairs, into the attic of the building. He sat down on the bed and I went to fetch him a glass of water. I returned to a shirtless Spot waiting for me on the bed. He drank the water gratefully and proceeded to fall asleep on top of the bed
I went back downstairs and into the washroom once more. I grabbed one of the towels carelessly stung about the floor, and wet it down with warm water. I sponged my neck and grimaced as the blood was wiped away.
I guessed that it was about one in the morning. I let out a yawn and headed into the connecting room filled with sleeping boys. I looked around for a clean piece of floor and laid down upon it.
A sharp jab was aimed towards my shoulder which I promptly ignored. It was repeated several more times and then I felt a whizzing piece of glass hit me. Sitting up I noticed that I was surrounded by boys glaring at me with varying looks of hatred, curiosity, and confusion.
The boy with the before mentioned slingshot frowned, "Who are you, and what are you doing in out lodging house?"
I looked around for a sign of Spot, but he was nowhere to be seen. "I'm uh, leaving now?"
"Not until you answer our questions," the boys stopped my standing attempts pushing me to the floor once more.
A door swung open and the Kind of Brooklyn himself stumbled down the rest of the stairs. He grabbed his head and shook it a few times, he proceeded to stumble into the washroom, and return with wetted hair. At that point in time he finally realized that not everything was normal in the lodging house.
"What's going on?"
I poked my head up, "Do you have any recollection of the night before?"
"Not really, no."
I muttered a crap and proceeded to talk to him once more, "You we're really drunk, and I helped you get back to the lodging house."
Spot had a brief look of understanding cross his face, "Right, I think I remember." I nodded my head enthusiastically at this improvement."
He walked over to me, "Come on, we've got papes to sell, you can tell me exactly why Queens," I shook my head, "the Bowery," another shake, "Bronx?"
"Manhattan."
Spot nodded, "Right, about why Manhattan hates you." He pushed me down the stairs in front of him. We walked out into the bright sunlight, and Spot began to mess about with his cane, "So?"
"I dunno, because I didn't want to get all chummy with them."
"Well then you picked the wrong territory, Manhattan is famous for its chumminess."
I let out a small laugh, "Yeah, 8th wonder of the world." We bought our papers and began to sell at Spot's favorite spot. (NPI)
"So kid where did you get the bruises?"
"You didn't believe me when I said I ran into a doorknob?"
"I was drunk and I didn't believe you then."
"A guy tried to kill me, or rob me I'm not quite sure what category it would fall under."
"And you didn't do anything?"
"I wasn't in exactly in the best position to do anything."
"True." Suddenly out of nowhere a girl tackled Spot to the ground, "Say that I am the supreme ruler of the world," she said with the same signature smirk constantly plastered on Spot's face.
Spot let out a sigh, "You're the supreme ruler of the world, now get off!" She stood up, and gave me a look.
"Hey Sweets," I gave her a grin. She smiled slightly, "What are you doing here, you're a Manhattan boy."
"Not today." She looked between Spot and I, "Right, well I finished selling, I'm going to see Blink in 'Hattan if you want to come along."
"Alright." Sweets waved at Spot and we headed off together, "So what's the deal with you and Spot," I inquired, "I mean are you like, you know?"
Sweets stopped and stared at me looking slightly appalled, and then she began to laugh at me, "My God, you don't know do you? Oh lord, you, you," she broke into more laughter.
"What?"
"Me and Spot, together, I'm with Blinky boy, Spot's, Spot's my brother." I stared at her, "You're brother?"
"Yep, the one and only, yes, he's egotistical, annoying, controlling, overly protective, and has done almost every girl on that side of the Bridge, but hey he's family right?"
"Yeah, he's family."
FLASHBACK
"Matthew why do you hate me?"
"I don't hate you, we're family."
"Screw family, family doesn't stop people from living."
"I'm not trying to stop you from living, just dying."
"Some brother you are!" I stormed out of the room slamming the door behind me.
END FLASHBACK
Sweets and I had crossed the bridge, and were walking towards Tibby's, she was suddenly pulled into a passionate kiss. I waited briefly for them to break up, but soon had enough of them sticking their tongues down each other's throats, and walked into Tibby's alone.
A/N ok I feel like ending the chapter here, so blaaaaaaaaaaah! Sli
The door softly clanged as I walked outside into the streets of New York. I dragged my feet thinking about the day, dreading going back to the lodging house. I came to the end of the road, and turned away from the Newsboy's house and towards some unknown territory I was willingly invading.
I walked to the Brooklyn Bridge and continued across. The murky waters splashed treacherously against the bridge's supports. I entered the territory I wandered aimlessly about. I passed several factories and pubs and headed onward.
A hand clasped over my mouth and bulled me behind a cold stone building. The hand tightened around my throat, and tears pricked into my eyes as I felt my breath being cut off from me, "I didn't kill them, you've gotta believe me!"
"I don't care who you killed!" My mouth parted but no words escaped, only a choking noise. "Give me you're money. I shook my head trying to tell him I didn't have any, but he pushed down on my throat harder.
I felt my eyes roll to the back of my head, and I passed out his hand still firmly placed on my throat.
I awoke to black, it surrounded and engulfed me. My headed pounded, and my throat was sore. I felt it and discovered it was bruised and had dried blood on it.
Standing up I grabbed my head trying to stop the spinning. I leaned back against the wall coughing slightly. I began to walk away fro the ally and to nowhere. I saw the lights of a small bar that was still going.
Walking inside I was greeted with a colorful and familiar sight. Men slumped over their drinks, it was so late they were completely wasted. I sat down and laid my head on the table staring at the person next to me. He was glassy eyed and wore a blue plaid shirt. A newsie hat perched jauntily on his head, which leaned against his glass.
"Who are you," his words were slurred and barely understandable.
"Slider," I responded.
"Don't we hate you?"
"You don't know me," I glared at him, he was a newsie for sure.
"What happened to you," he glanced at my bruises.
"I ran into a doorknob."
"Uh huh, sure," He gave a small laugh.
"Where'd you live?"
He continued to laugh, "Brooklyn."
"Where IN Brooklyn?"
"The lodging house," he let out another laugh. I grabbed his arm and helped to stand him up. He slung his arm over my shoulder and put his weight on me.
"Come on," I led him out of the bar and down the street, occasionally he would give me directions. "So who are you," I inquired.
"Spot Conlon, the leader of Brooklyn," a cocky grin danced across his face. Then his face grew confused, "Hey, aren't you a Manhattan boy? What are you doing in Brooklyn?" he pushed himself away from me and stumbled a little.
"Manhattan boys are a bunch of shit heads." Spot grinned and slung his arm back around me, "That's it?"
I shrugged, "Right now it will be." Spot cocked his head, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You're too drunk to know. Tomorrow you won't even remember me."
"I'm not drunk," he defiantly stated, "I'm slightly intoxicated!"
I pushed him down on the stone steps of the building and sat next to him, letting him rest for a moment. He hung his head between his legs and then stood up once more. I followed his lead and walked into the lodging house behind him.
He walked past the sleeping boys and up more stairs, into the attic of the building. He sat down on the bed and I went to fetch him a glass of water. I returned to a shirtless Spot waiting for me on the bed. He drank the water gratefully and proceeded to fall asleep on top of the bed
I went back downstairs and into the washroom once more. I grabbed one of the towels carelessly stung about the floor, and wet it down with warm water. I sponged my neck and grimaced as the blood was wiped away.
I guessed that it was about one in the morning. I let out a yawn and headed into the connecting room filled with sleeping boys. I looked around for a clean piece of floor and laid down upon it.
A sharp jab was aimed towards my shoulder which I promptly ignored. It was repeated several more times and then I felt a whizzing piece of glass hit me. Sitting up I noticed that I was surrounded by boys glaring at me with varying looks of hatred, curiosity, and confusion.
The boy with the before mentioned slingshot frowned, "Who are you, and what are you doing in out lodging house?"
I looked around for a sign of Spot, but he was nowhere to be seen. "I'm uh, leaving now?"
"Not until you answer our questions," the boys stopped my standing attempts pushing me to the floor once more.
A door swung open and the Kind of Brooklyn himself stumbled down the rest of the stairs. He grabbed his head and shook it a few times, he proceeded to stumble into the washroom, and return with wetted hair. At that point in time he finally realized that not everything was normal in the lodging house.
"What's going on?"
I poked my head up, "Do you have any recollection of the night before?"
"Not really, no."
I muttered a crap and proceeded to talk to him once more, "You we're really drunk, and I helped you get back to the lodging house."
Spot had a brief look of understanding cross his face, "Right, I think I remember." I nodded my head enthusiastically at this improvement."
He walked over to me, "Come on, we've got papes to sell, you can tell me exactly why Queens," I shook my head, "the Bowery," another shake, "Bronx?"
"Manhattan."
Spot nodded, "Right, about why Manhattan hates you." He pushed me down the stairs in front of him. We walked out into the bright sunlight, and Spot began to mess about with his cane, "So?"
"I dunno, because I didn't want to get all chummy with them."
"Well then you picked the wrong territory, Manhattan is famous for its chumminess."
I let out a small laugh, "Yeah, 8th wonder of the world." We bought our papers and began to sell at Spot's favorite spot. (NPI)
"So kid where did you get the bruises?"
"You didn't believe me when I said I ran into a doorknob?"
"I was drunk and I didn't believe you then."
"A guy tried to kill me, or rob me I'm not quite sure what category it would fall under."
"And you didn't do anything?"
"I wasn't in exactly in the best position to do anything."
"True." Suddenly out of nowhere a girl tackled Spot to the ground, "Say that I am the supreme ruler of the world," she said with the same signature smirk constantly plastered on Spot's face.
Spot let out a sigh, "You're the supreme ruler of the world, now get off!" She stood up, and gave me a look.
"Hey Sweets," I gave her a grin. She smiled slightly, "What are you doing here, you're a Manhattan boy."
"Not today." She looked between Spot and I, "Right, well I finished selling, I'm going to see Blink in 'Hattan if you want to come along."
"Alright." Sweets waved at Spot and we headed off together, "So what's the deal with you and Spot," I inquired, "I mean are you like, you know?"
Sweets stopped and stared at me looking slightly appalled, and then she began to laugh at me, "My God, you don't know do you? Oh lord, you, you," she broke into more laughter.
"What?"
"Me and Spot, together, I'm with Blinky boy, Spot's, Spot's my brother." I stared at her, "You're brother?"
"Yep, the one and only, yes, he's egotistical, annoying, controlling, overly protective, and has done almost every girl on that side of the Bridge, but hey he's family right?"
"Yeah, he's family."
FLASHBACK
"Matthew why do you hate me?"
"I don't hate you, we're family."
"Screw family, family doesn't stop people from living."
"I'm not trying to stop you from living, just dying."
"Some brother you are!" I stormed out of the room slamming the door behind me.
END FLASHBACK
Sweets and I had crossed the bridge, and were walking towards Tibby's, she was suddenly pulled into a passionate kiss. I waited briefly for them to break up, but soon had enough of them sticking their tongues down each other's throats, and walked into Tibby's alone.
A/N ok I feel like ending the chapter here, so blaaaaaaaaaaah! Sli